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墨書 Inktalez
After putting down his phone, he focused his mind. The car sped down the street.
After parking, he followed the address upstairs. When he reached the door, it seemed quiet inside.
Standing outside, Xu Wen pressed Qinglan's phone number again. The call rang but was quickly hung up.
Xu Wen was startled. After putting away his phone, he began to knock on the door, following the usual etiquette with three knocks.
There was no response from inside.
He knocked three more times, calling out, "Qinglan, Qinglan."
Still no response.
The knocking turned into a series of urgent bangs on the door. "Qinglan, are you there? Open the door! It's me, Xu Wen! Open up!"
After knocking for a long time and calling out repeatedly, Xu Wen dialed Qinglan's number again, but the call was cut off once more.
Finally, there was some movement inside, and Xu Wen noticed that the light in the living room had turned on.
He heard footsteps approaching the door and then it opened.
The light in the entrance was off, and the living room light was dim. With the faint light coming from the living room, he could clearly see the person standing in front of him.
Xu Wen's hand holding the phone to his ear froze for a moment before slowly sliding down. He closed his phone and put it away. In a short span of time, his expression changed many times.
"You. What are you doing here?" Xu Wen stammered, struggling to find his words.
An Shaojie stood in front of him, coldly staring without speaking, without inviting him inside, and without asking him anything. The icy gaze felt like a frozen cavern, instantly turning the previously warm air around them into shards of ice that enveloped Xu Wen, chilling him to the bone and causing a sharp pain.
How long had it been since he last saw An Shaojie?
Considering their relationship as classmates, especially since they had not yet graduated and still had classes together, it seemed they had not seen each other for a long time. It was as if he had been forgotten in some corner, only to suddenly reappear, reminding everyone that this person was still among their classmates.
In the grand scheme of life, however, the time was quite short.
Just a brief moment of reflection.
The last time he remembered seeing him was in the back row of the classroom during a lesson; he hadn’t noticed when he left.
Now, An Shaojie had almost become an elusive figure, with no one knowing what he was doing.
He used to be neither high-profile nor low-key in class. It was only when someone mentioned topics that he found distasteful or sensitive that people would turn their attention to him upon hearing the loud thud of his book hitting the desk.
Or perhaps it was when his name and image appeared on the school’s learning bulletin board, posters, or at some report meeting that drew classmates' gazes toward him.
Outside of those moments, he quietly sat in a corner of the classroom, absorbed in his reading.
Of course, there was one topic that often reminded classmates of him and prompted discussions about him, causing them to glance his way.
That was his cold attitude toward Qinglan and Qinglan's unyielding concern for him. This topic remained a taboo in class; no one dared to discuss it openly in front of him but would whisper about it behind his back.
Calculating it all up, there were times when his presence would unexpectedly surface in class. In reality, the time they had not seen each other was less than a month.
The feeling it gave was like a distant memory.
Because, after such a short time without seeing him, he had actually lost weight.
He had become thinner, much thinner. But it was obvious that his physique had become more solid.
Perhaps it was because his gaze when looking at others was more determined and calm than before, giving the impression that he had matured and become sturdier.
The two stood facing each other for a while.
His calm gaze and demeanor gave Xu Wen a sense of pressure.
Xu Wen murmured, "An Shaojie, it's been a long time since I last saw you. Now that you're here, I can relax. Well, I'm leaving." He turned to go downstairs.
"Did you take her out for drinks?" A cold voice floated from behind.
Xu Wen turned his head, then stepped up a stair. "She was having dinner with me," he replied.
Suddenly, a fist struck Xu Wen in the face, causing him to stumble backward a step and nearly fall down the stairs. Fortunately, he managed to grab the wooden handrail just in time to steady himself.
But there was a burning pain on his cheek.
"An Shaojie, what are you doing?" Xu Wen touched his face, feeling both angry and confused.
Even if Qinglan was his girlfriend, it didn't justify hitting someone out of nowhere. Besides, they had gone out for dinner because Qinglan had called to invite him.
Xu Wen felt a bit wronged, but he did not blame An Shaojie, nor did he hold any resentment towards Qinglan for not coming out to see him.
Thinking about how anxious he had been for her earlier, he could only feel heartache.
Now, seeing An Shaojie by her side, he felt nothing but relief and comfort.
Although An Shaojie seemed a bit reckless and appeared cold towards Qinglan in the eyes of others, seeming indifferent or even disgusted, Xu Wen could see through him.
As long as he did not harm her, he would protect her and ensure that no one else could hurt her.
So, if they fought, so be it; it was clear that he still cared for Qinglan.
Just then, there was a loud bang as the door closed.
An Shaojie was inside while he remained outside, separated by a heavy security door that coldly kept Xu Wen out.
There were no polite words exchanged, no warmth at all; it was cold. Although it was May and Xu Wen had just broken a bit of sweat, now the dampness on his back slowly shrank away, a chill seeping through his thin white shirt.
Perhaps it was because it was late at night! Indeed, after dinner and all the commotion, it had long since turned into the deep hours of the night.
The night was as cool as water.
Xu Wen couldn't help but shiver involuntarily.
A person stood at the door for a long time before finally turning around and descending the stairs, disappearing into the dark hallway.
Once downstairs, he still gazed longingly up at the floor above.
Indeed, he wanted to catch a glimpse of her.
Although he was certain that An Shaojie was by her side, allowing him to feel at ease, he still thought he should see her just once to truly relax.
So, as he was about to get into the car, his final glance back contained too much reluctance, worry, and concern.
It felt as if tonight was their last farewell.
Sigh! But she, who loved him the most, would find happiness with him.
As for him, perhaps she was also the one he loved the most!
Even with all the reluctance, even with all the worry, even with all the desire to see her just once, he pressed the accelerator and sped away.
Inside the rental apartment, the living room light remained dimly lit.
An Shaojie sat at the dining table; he had just boiled a kettle of water and was holding a cup to drink. His mouth felt dry, his heart was heavy and restless, deeply engulfed in loneliness and a profound sense of hatred. His hand gripped the cup tightly, his brow furrowed, his eyes blazing with intensity as he stared out into the pitch-black stillness of the night.
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